


Of Gods and Monsters, Fragment e7,1: Late January, 2078

by bzarcher, solarbird



Series: Of Gods and Monsters [27]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Best Friends, Best Frienemies, CIA agents - Freeform, Central Intelligence Agency, Genderqueer Character, Incomplete Pictures, Intelligence - Freeform, MI6 Agents, One Step Behind, Other, Plans, Secret Intelligence Service | MI6, Spies, alarms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-05-14 17:15:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14773826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bzarcher/pseuds/bzarcher, https://archiveofourown.org/users/solarbird/pseuds/solarbird
Summary: Moira O’Deorain has won. Her rivals within Talon destroyed, her trio of loyal Weapons - the Changed and copper-eyed Tracer, the silver-eyed Oilliphéist, and golden-eyed Widowmaker - at her command, to remake the world.Angela Ziegler isn't the only one who has had an eye on Michael Ngcobo, and the two intelligence agents Jack Morrison refers to as LEITER and M share some unfortunate news, in London.This story - a side-step/alternate-ending sequel toThe Armourer and the Living Weapon- will be told in a series of eddas, sagas, fragments, texts, and cantos, all of which serve their individual purposes. To follow it as it appears,please subscribe to the series.





	Of Gods and Monsters, Fragment e7,1: Late January, 2078

"Well," the Commander said, looking over her American friend, looking over the pinstripe suit, razor-thin tie, and... "Is that actually a bowler? I must say, it's quite an improvement over the bright red dress."

"Nice to see you too, M," they said, stepping beside her and onto a tool at the bar of their usual pub, hat gracefully placed on the counter.

"Don't call me that, you idiot," she said. "Besides - that's _his_ joke, not mine."

"Oh, fine, be like that. She/her today, by the way. I'm just feeling a little," she ran her hand through her short red hair, "...butch."

The Commander nodded. "It suits you. And how is Omaha?"

"Dreadful, as always. So glad to be back in civilised territory. How's London?"

"London never changes until someone bombs it, and even then, it takes a lot of bombs. Or a World Cup. My turn to pay, isn't it?"

"No," the CIA agent said, "it's mine this time. Lager?"

"Mm," nodded the MI6 agent. "Bitter, I think."

They ordered one of each and a curry and chips, then retreated to their usual table in the back, away from the snooker tables and the video. Relatively quiet, certainly dark.

"So, have you heard the news?" the person Jack Morrison called LEITER asked, sipping their beer.

"Which?" the person Jack Morrison called M asked, dipping a chip into the curry sauce. "It's been so noisy, lately. Sombra?"

"No, but you'll want to fill me in on that, particularly once you hear about our... acquaintance from South Africa. The one I'd hoped to bring in, after that conference in Japan wrapped up. He was scheduled for a presentation in California the following week, and we were going to get together."

"Oh dear," she said, looking concerned as she put down her bitter. "I was swamped all day going over some nonsense in Albania. What have I missed?"

"The boat, I hate to say. Or rather, we both have."

"Damn," she spat. "He was one of the only mid-level agents to answer the Overwatch recall, and certainly, the closest to Ziegler. Is he dead?"

"We don't think so. Ziegler showed up in Japan. Officially, by the way - through customs, scientific visit, all that. He was seen having lunch with her in a very public place, and apparently, it didn't go well. But four days later, he's resigned his post in India by telephone, and was last spotted boarding a flight to Iraq."

"Turned around, just like that?" she asked, frowning.

"Just like that," they confirmed, sharing the frown.

"One of the most alarmed people _not_ in direct violation of PETRAS, one of the few people who had signaled he's willing to work with us... and she just sweeps in and he's gone?"

"Yep." The Indiana native picked up a chip, looked at it, dipped it in the curry, and tried it. _Well, I guess it's better than mayo. Fucking spicy, though!_ They took another sip of their beer.

"What the bloody hell is going on, Robyn?"

"First names, Neelashi? You are upset."

"Aren't you?"

"Of course I am! I came all this way to tell you in person, didn't I?"

"Because I'd asked, because I wanted to tell _you_ that our favourite black hat has been spotted in Oasis."

They sat up, surprised. "What? When?"

"We aren't sure. We have an undated photo, only recently arrived. In it, she's in a hospital bed, apparently recovering from... we don't know what."

"Let me guess: a hospital bed in the ministry."

"I'm afraid so. It arrived via an inadequately anonymous drop from someone - well, someone we wouldn't normally consider an _ally_ , but someone we believe to be well connected to certain well-known terrorist organisations. We'd treated it as suspect, but if other prodigal children are being brought home too, that might lend a bit more credibility to it." She took another sip of her beer. "We're _hoping_ it signals another power struggle within that particular organisation. Do you have anything might support that theory?"

"Not that's gone past my desk, but I can do some digging as soon as I get home."

"Good, because if they're starting to fill out their ranks, then we'd better figure out how to get our respective upper management corps to pay a bloody bit more attention to whatever the hell is going on here."

"Particularly if they've got some way of turning enemies into friends in four days flat."

" _Particularly_ if they have something like _that_ ," she agreed. " _Dammit_ ," she swore, "I thought we were finally going to have an in."

"It feels like we're always about a couple steps behind, doesn't it?" they said, salting a chip, and eating it.

"Or like what we're chasing keeps changing on us every couple of months." She slammed back the rest of her bitter. "That's why I can't get the upper-ups to care. It's too nebulous to be a threat."

"Same thing in DC," they nodded, sipping at their lager. "But snatching an agent out from underneath us like that... maybe we could spin it, just a little..."

"He'd agreed through contacts to talk. Maybe that's enough. Say he'd agreed to _work_ , then, suddenly, Ziegler shows up, and then he's in Iraq. We must be onto something, they're taking counter-actions against us." She flagged a discreet waiter, who brought her over her customary second bitter.

The CIA agent nodded. "Yeah. Yeah. That might work. It'll certainly fly with my boss, and he's got some friends at the Oasis desk. If we can just get 'em pointed in the right direction..."

"Worth a go, wouldn't you say? I'll try the same thing from my end. If we hear from each other that we're both looking, that'll help a bit, too."

"I could mention that a friend of mine in the SIS was sniffing around."

"I'll do the reverse, but say a friend in the NSA. Signals intelligence always gets them excited, lets them order more fancy toys."

"Well then," they said, tipping their nearly empty glass, "I think we've got a plan."

"I think," she said, tipping her mostly full one, "we do." She looked over at the tables, sitting unused. "Snooker?"

"With a one-beer advantage? That's no fair," they said, draining their lager. "I'll order another, get us on level ground before we play."

"Good girl," the Captain said. "You do that, I'll get a table set up."

"I'll be back before you know it."

"I've heard that before."

"I won't hit on the bartender this time! He's working. Besides, he's turned me down already."

"Twice, as I recall."

"Ugh," they said, shaking their head. "You are the worst. Why do I even like you?"

"That's _why_ you like me, dear."

"It _is_." They leaned over, and gave her a definitively platonic peck on the cheek. "Be right back - this time, for sure!"

**Author's Note:**

> To follow this story, [subscribe to the series via this link](https://archiveofourown.org/series/972024), rather than to the individual eddas or sagas.


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